In a semiconductor light emitting device, an n-type semiconductor layer, a light emitting layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer, for example, are stacked in this order. Since a sapphire substrate used for the crystal growth of a nitride semiconductor layer is an insulator, a structure providing a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode on the upper surface side of a semiconductor layer is employed. However, this structure has a high series resistance. Further, since the thermal conductivity of the sapphire substrate is low, there arises a problem that heat dissipation capability is low particularly in a high output power.
Meanwhile, there is a configuration of transferring a semiconductor layer grown on a sapphire substrate to a support substrate different from the crystal-grown substrate (thin film type). A Si substrate having electrical conductivity and a high thermal conductivity can be used as the support substrate and thereby current can flow in a stacking direction and a low series resistance and a high heat dissipation capability can be obtained at the same time. In a semiconductor light emitting device, further improvement of efficiency is being required.